Jemison High School’s Panther Stadium will host the fifth annual Chilton County Area Night of Bands on Monday, Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Participating bands will include Chilton County, Isabella, Jemison, Maplesville, Marbury, Thorsby and Verbena high schools.

The word “area” was added to the event’s name because of the inclusion of Marbury High School’s band, said Thorsby High School Band Director and event coordinator Steven Pounders.

“There will be over 300 musicians, dancers, flags and majorettes on the field all performing together,” Pounders said. “This is a performance you should not miss.”

The night will begin with a collective performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” by all bands involved. Then, each individual band will perform starting with the smallest band and ending with the largest.

For the grand finale, the bands will reunite and play several selections directed in succession by each school’s drum major.

“The purpose of the event is to showcase all of the bands in the area,” Pounders said. “Each school in the area doesn’t always play each other in football. So, the directors decided to create an event so that all of the band students in the county could see the others schools’ halftime shows.”

Admission is $5 and parking is $3. The cost for students is $3, and children in third grade and below get in free.

All proceeds go to the Chilton County Band Directors Association, which hopes to take the Chilton County Honor Band to Fairhope next year to march in the town’s Mardi Gras Parade.

“We are hoping that we will have enough funds raised so the trip will not cost the students anything,” Pounders said. “The students will have to audition for the Chilton County Honor Band to be eligible to go.”

Auditions are scheduled for Dec. 2 from 4-6 p.m. at Jemison High. The Marbury band students are invited to participate in Honor Band as well as the trip.

The Chilton County Area Honor Band will be held at Jemison High School on Jan. 8, 9 and 10, 2009. The concert will be at 2 p.m. on Jan. 10 in the JHS auditorium.

For more information on the Chilton County Area Night of Bands and other events, see www.chiltoncountybands.org.